Car-coupling.



E. F. GEBHARDT.

GAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED mm. 11, 1912 1,108,740. Patented Aug. 25, 1914.,

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E. F. GEBHARDT.

GAR COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED DEO.11. 1912. 1 1 08,740. Patented Aug. 25, 1914 (gm 0044 1301 $771661 17 Gzhdrfit Q %%L %WMW I abbomm g THE NORRIS PETERS CD., PHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON, D Cv E. F. GBB'HARDT.

UAR COUPLING. APPLIGATION inn) DEG.11, 191 2.

Patented Aug. 25,1914.

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THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTD-LITHOV. WASHINGTON, D. C.

"hurrah ERNEET IE. GEBHARDT, OF BRIDGE-PC33 1, LONNEOTICUT.

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To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST F. Guninuio'r, citizen the United States, and resident of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairlield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Car-Couplers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in car-couplers of the automatically operating knuckle type and is designed to be automatically locked by a special form of locking block. and released by a novel form of releasing mechanism.

'lhe object of the invention is to generally improve upon-car-couplers of the above type by producing a simple, eihcient and durable form of construction whereby the coupler will automatically lock when two are brought together and which may be easily and quickly unlocked and the knuckle 'hrown open when not in engagement with a co-acting coupler; to provide a construction wherein the operating connections are .iade through the under side of the coupler thus avoiding the presence of holes or open ings in the top side.

As will be more clearly described the lockiug member of the coupler is operated by a rocker pin which. in turn may be connected and manipulated from either or both sides of a car to which the coupler may be attached with no change in the design of the coupler. Said locking member is so ar-- ranged and operatively connected as to be first lifted from its normalposition of rest to its pirotal position when it is tilted to a given elevation to free the knuckle and is then further raised simultaneously with tl throwing open of the knuckle. Said look ing member obviously extends across the path of movement of the tail portion of knuckle so as to hold tie same locked when closed.

Like characters of reference will be found to designate corresponding )arts throughout the accompanying three sheets of drawings, which illustrate my said invention, and upon which,

Figure 1, shows a plan view of my improved car coupler in a closed position. the draw bar of which is shown broken away. Fig. 2. is a sectional plan view of said coupier, the knuckle being shown in an open position. 3, is a side View ofsaid coir Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 11, 1912.

Fatented Aug. 25, 1914- Serial No. 736,114.

tion of one side of the head broken away to better illustrate the internal construe tion. i, is a tilted side view of an operating memberwhich is slidably mounted upon the rocker pin and designed to raise the locking member and open the knuckle of the coupler. 5, is a front end View of the coupler in a locked position, but with knuckle removed. Fig. 6, is. a further end view of the coupler in an unlocked position, and with knuckle removed. Fig. 7, is a side view of the coupler in a locked position showing the locking member in its norinal position not raised. Fig. 8, is a disconnected side view of the knuckle as seen from the small end. F 9, is a side View partly broken away of the said coupler showing the locking member in a sufficiently ra sed position to release the knuckle and permit of it being swung open, and, Fig. 10. shows a detached end and side view respectively of the rocker pin upon which the operating arm is mounted.

Referring iii-detail to the characters of reference marked upon the drawings 12 indicates the body of the coupler, 13 the rear wardly extended draw bar portion thereof, and 14: the knuckle which is pivotally connected to the head of the draw bar by means of a vertically disposed pivotal pin 15. The head of the coupler is suitably recessed to provide for the inwardly extended arm of the knuckle as well as the co acting mechanism for operating and locking the same. The knuckle is of substantially the usual type of knuckles in couplers of this class, except perhaps the inwardly extended arm or tail portion which as will be seen includes an upper beveled corner edge 16 and an extended shoulder 17, which shoulder serv to engage the forward or free end 18 of the locking member 19. This locking member as well as the operating member 201s of a novel construction and is so arranged as to be operated to release the knuckle by a rocker movement of the operating pin 21 which extends out from and below the under side of the head of the coupler and is provided with an arm 22 to wiich a suitable link, rod or chain connection may be made, to allow the coupler to be operated from that side of the car most desirable or necessary. An inclined annular cam bearing surface is provided on the inside of the head of the coupler surroundpler in an open position and having a per i ing the pin to form a bearing against which the corresponding cam surface of the op erating member 30 operates to insure its vertical movement with the rotation of the pin 21. tegral keys 2%, and a lug 26, while the operating member is provided with three key ways 2%, 25 and way is located in through the operating the two said keyways 24% and 25 so as to permit the pin to be inserted up through. the coupler and locking member as in the assembling of the parts. When the pin has been so inserted and given a half turn the oppositely arranged keys and 25 may then become positioned in the keyways 25 and 2 1- respectively, while the first mentioned lug 26 is positioned to rest upon the top end of the hub of the operating member to support the pin from dropping through. The upper end of the said rocker pin is provided with a further bearing 27 in the innor top portion of the head of the coupler and a suitable pin 28 is placed through said rocker pin to prevent its accidental displacement.

one side of the hole member and betwee;

The locking member 19 is pivotally connected to the body of the coupler being provided with lateral trunnions 29 that operate in bearings 30 formed integral with the body of the coupler and located in the rear hollow portion thereof. The lower portion of said bearings 30 are-shaped to form two oppositely arranged vertical edges that form bearings for the shouldered trunnions 29 when the rear or small end of the locking member is in a position of rest as shown in Fig. 7 so as to prevent any accidental tilting movement of the said locking member sufiioient to raise its forward end. The upper portion 31 of the pockets in these bearings 80 are somewhat larger and afford sufficient room for the said shouldered trunnions 29 to turn, when raised by the operating memher, from the position shown in Fig. 7 .to that shown in Fig. 9. This constitutes a preliminary operation of the locking. member as imparted thereto by the operating member as will later be moreclearly understood. Upon the side of the forward end of the locking member is formed a longitudinal shoulder 18 that is designed to loosely engage a reversely disposed shoulder 12 formed on the inside wall of coupler head, in a manner to normally be in engagement one with the other to form a holding means and to prevent the forward end of the locking member from accidentally rising. This engagement works out in connection with the action of the shoulders 29 of the tailend of the locking member with the vertical edges on the trunnions and together operate to prevent accidental raising of forward end of locking member.

The operating member as before stated The pin is provided with two in 26 The latter key is raised and loweredby the turnin of the rocker pin and as shown is provic ed with two arms and 33 the former of which serves to engage, lift and operate the locking member, while the latter serves to engage and throw open the knuckle. The arm 32 is provided with an inclined bearing surface 34 which engages an incline bearing surface 35 on theunder side of the locking member that first tends to raise the trunnions 29 as above described, and then serves to tilt the said locking member and raise its forward end. An adjacent flat surface 36 of the arm 32 supports the said locking member in this position during a further movement of the arm. The construction of the operating member includes suitablebearing surfaces 86 and 37 to engage the under side of the locking member and support it in a rigid open position. This positioning of the parts frees the tail end of the knuckle and allows the same to be swung, as for instance by the trainman or by the drawing apart of the cars. A further movement of the said operating member brings into play the other arm 38 which engages the shoulder 39 of the knuckle and throws it open thereby producing a complete opening of the coupler when the rocker pin is given a full forward movement. During that part of the movement when arm 33 is throwing the knuckle open, the forward end of the locking member 19 is being carried by the beveled edge 16 .and the extended shoulder 17 of the knuckle 14. The proportion, design and construction of the parts are such that the moment the rocker pin isreleased it and the operating member immediately drop back to their normal position as shown in Fig. 7 thereby leaving the parts free to be automatically locked when the knuckle is closed, for instance by the abutting together of two cars provided with automatic couplers of this type.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination of a body having a spiral incline bearing surface, a knuckle having a horizontally swinging arm, a pivotal locking member adapted to lie in the path of movement of the arm to-prevent it from opening, said locking member being pivotally connected to the body of the coupler and having suitable engaging surfaces, an operating member supported upon said spiral bearing and having two arms one of which is designed to engage and raise the locking member to free the knuckle arm and the other adapted to engage the said knuckle and throw it open, and a rocker pin journaled in the body central of the spiral incline and passing through the operating member and adapted to turn the same against the spiral bearing to raise-,zboth the operating and locking member to release the knuckle.

2. In a car coupler of the class described, the combination with a coupler head having a spiral incline cam surface of a knuckle having a horizontally swinging arm, a pivotal locking member to automatically engage and lock the swinging arm, and having suitable engaging shoulders to insure first the raising of the pivotal end to a pivotal position, a vertically disposed rocker pin, an operating member slidably mounted upon the pin and resting upon the incline cam surface and having an arm with inclines which are designed to first raise the pivotal end and then raise the forward end of the locking member to free the knuckle and also suitable bearing surfaces for holding the locking member in a rigid open position,

and a second arm on said operating member to engage and throw the knuckle open.

Signed at Bridgeport in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut this 4th day of December A. 1)., 1912. ERNEST F. GEBHARDT. 'lVitnesses C. M. NEWMAN, RUTH M. WORDEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington. D. C. 

